rickpaulos

Okay, I rechecked the serial number and got date codes for the Pueblo at post #2499.

The serial is hard to read. GX898660 G instead of C. G for Giant build.
And the second is messed up. Looks like they use an I or L and double or triple stamped to make a X or K. It looks different depending on the viewing angle.
rear der Shimano Exage Country RD-M250 MH (1988 August)
front der Shimano Exage Country FD-M250 MH (1988 August)
crankset Shimano FC-M250 MH & MG (1988 August July)
brakes Shimano Exage Country BL-M250
calipers Shimano Exage Country
JoyTech qr front hub J88
cheap 3 part bo steel rear hub.
matching Araya alloy rims
fork Hi Ten
frame tubing sticker is cro mo seat tube. What? Just 1 cromo tube?

T-Mar

Well, that confirms a 1989 model, as the frame was manufactured during weeks 47-48 of 1988, which is late enough in the calendar year to be for the upcoming model year. Besides, that down tube decal wasn't used in 1988.

Using a single CrMo tube was a not uncommon cost concession at this level. Comsumers would look at the decal and think, "Good it has a CrMo frame", without reading the finer print. The bicycle company could save a couple dollars to get more profit and/or lower the retail price slightly, in what was a very competitive price point.

SquireBlack 

This is my "new" Nishiki once again, cleaned up and in its new role as my around-town fixie. I touched up the worst of the paint chips, but didn't want to paint over the logos.



Nishiki GE 02906.

rickpaulos

Nishiki Backroads

serial R914410?2 (next to last digit hard to read in the photos) I'll check it again soon.

R for Raleigh USA build (Kent Washington)
R91441nnn
R9___1nnn (1991)
R_144_ day (friday May 24th )
(I was at the Burlington Iowa road race that day)

MADE IN USA decal
Nishiki Design 4130 Butted Cro MO
4130 cromo forks
Shimano Exage 300 XL crankarms
right FC-M300 date code PA (1991 January)
left date code OL (1990 December)
Suntour ARX rear derailleur
front hub Sealed Mech. Exage HB-RM50
rear hub Exage HB-RM50

T-Mar

Yes, that's definitely a 1991 Nishiki Backroads. That year, it was 6th in a line of 11 adult ATBs. The MSRP was $395 US. The finish was called Pearl White with Sunset, though for the life of me, I can't figure out how the blue cob webbing relates to a sunset. West Coast Cycle, the USA owner of the Nishiki brand, had been purchased by the Derby Cycle Corporation in late 1988, which explains the serial number format used by the Raleigh factory in Kent, Washington, as the Derby Cycle Corporation had previously acquired Raleigh in 1987.

The OEM spec rear derailleur was a Shimano 400LX. The RM50 hubs were not group specific, being common to Exage 300LX, 400LX and 500LX. It looks like West Coast Cycle did quite a bit of mixing and matching to hit their sub-$400 price, as my literature shows the major components to be a mix of all three levels of the Exage and even the lower 200GS.

I'll have to check my old training diaries, to see what I was doing that day. Thank-you for posting. Enjoy your new acquisition.

MateoPHX666

I've had a Custom Sport sitting in my garage for a few years, finally got around to fixing it up to ride it
I'm having trouble deciphering the Serial to figure out when/where it's from, hoping one of y'all can help 😅

Serial: S1 5B526

T-Mar

Welcome to the forums. Based on my current understandering of the is format, it should be a 1981 model and it does appear to be a good match for the Custom Sport in the 1981 catalogue, outside of the absence of chrome on the lower fork blades. However, that could have been a cost reduction after the catalogue was issued.

MateoPHX666

This is sick, thank you so much!!

Do you happen to know why the serial doesn't follow the Kawamura or Giant indexing? Does the S1 signify a 3rd party manufacturer?

T-Mar

I don't know the identity of the manufacturer but it's somebody other than Kawamura or Giant. Circa 1976 there was a change in management at West Coast Cycle Supply, the owners and distributors of the Nishiki brand in the USA. The new president of West Coast Cycle brought in a group of investors and set-up the Nishiki Bicycle Company. The bicycle boom of the early 1970s had evaporated and the market was tougher. Consequently, the new company started seeking new, cheaper sources. Giant was brought on board for the entry evel models, primarily due to the fixed change rate of the Taiwanese currency. We've seen lots of other sources for USA market Nishiki and there are many possible reasons: lower cost, supply issues with prime contractors, speciality manufacturing, etc.

Soupdaddy

I found a Nishiki prepossessed at a Goodwill drop off. I snatched it for $25 thinking about making a SS. But, upon further inspection the bike appears to be an all original Shimano 600 10 sp 1971 Custom Sport. The serial number is KI 16888. I would like to attach pics, but need 10 posts.

T-Mar

Welcome ot the forums. If it is a KI prefix on the serial number, then it was manufactured in 1979 and would be a 1979 or 1980 model. All the early 1970s Nishiki used a KS serial number prefix. The Nishiki brand didn't appear until the 1972 model year. Also, Shimano 600 wasn't introduced until 1975. Check post #2507 above. It shows a 1981 Custom Sport and the catalogue page from that year. Yours should look almost the same, except for possibly the colour.

Soupdaddy

It looks quite a bit different than post#2507. I wish I could post pics. Is there a short cut to get around the 10 post governor?

Soupdaddy

Sorry, I must get to 10 to post pics

Soupdaddy

This is silly, but expect another seven reports

Soupdaddy

Reply number 5. sorry all

T-Mar

I found your photos and I'm not seeing much difference. It's definitely the same crankset and derailleurs. It looks like the same brakeset, pedals, handlebar stem and tubing deccal. It's definitely 1979-1980. Photo assist...

Soupdaddy

Upon further inspection you are correct T-Mar. What is this bike worth? Should I clean it up as a survivor or turn it into a SS city bike? Thanks
BTW it's a tall frame. I'm 6' and you can see where the seat stem is located for me to ride it.

Soupdaddy

Does anyone know if this is saving as a survivor or just make it into a cool townie?

curbtender

I think you should build it the way you like if it will be worth more to you.

Smokinapankake

1986 (I think) Nishiki Prestige of Kawamura origin:




WF07192 where W= US market, F= model year ending in 6 (1986), and 07192= 7,192nd frame manufactured that year. Correct?

Few more pics:

Suntour alpha 5000

Suntour alpha 5000




Sansin Hubs


I think it's all original except saddle, stem, and tires/tubes. 57cm top tube, 57cm seat tube.

Oldsteeler

Hi Nishiki Freaks,
I hope that the knowledge available here in the forum can help me.

have a Nishiki Competition here with a "strange" frame code that I can't read or decode.

WBT01201V

too many letters at the beginning and an extra letter at the end of the code.
Never seen before in this combination.

Can one of you help me ? Thanks.

T-Mar

Welcome to the forum. That looks like the format used on bicycles intended for Denmark. WBT was the prefix assigned to bicycles imported byTaarnby a/s, the Danish importer and distributor for Nishiki, while the V suffix denotes 1961, 1982 or 2003. It obviously isn't 1961,as the Nishiki brand did not exist at that time. Pending photos, 1982 would be the leading candidate.

T-Mar

As I stated in your other post on the subject bicycle, it is actually a 1987 model manufacted in late 1986.

Oldsteeler

perfect and thanks for the quick reply.
So it's a competition from 1982.
Pictures can't be posted yet according to the forum rules. Only after the 10th post.
But one more question about the letter V as a year code.
The letter V is the 22nd letter in the alphabet.
From which starting year is the alphabet A-1, B-2..... counted up?

T-Mar

Actually, you can post photographs. They will upload to a gallery album under your user name, where other members can view them.

Regarding the date code sequence, it starts at 1942 but does not use I, O, Q, W or Y, though Q was included in the first cycle (i.e. 1956). It was a government regulation, probably instituted to discourage bicycle theft, as bicycles would have been a lucrative black market item during the war. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_bicycle_VIN-system